Surface cleaning tool



May 31, 1960 G. F. CARABET 4 2,938,225 Q SURFACE CLEANING TOOL.

Filed June 9, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 May 31, 1960 c. F. CARABET I v 72,938,225

SURFACE CLEANING TOOL Filed June 9, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United StatesPatent SURFACE CLEANING TOOL George F. Carabet, Logansport, Ind.,assignor to I he Hoover Company, North Canton, Ohio, a corporation ofOhio Filed June 9, 1958, Ser. No. 740,665

Claims. (Cl. -356) The present invention relates to suction cleaningtools and more particularly to a tool having a nozzle which can beadjusted to float or remain fixed with respect to the surface beingcleaned.

An object of the invention is to provide a cleaning tool having asurface cleaning nozzle and supporting means wherein the latter ismovably and fixedly mounted with respect to the nozzle to transferpropelling forces either to the nozzle or the supporting means. Anotherobject is to provide the aforesaid cleaning tool with a resilientlymounted brush which is maintained in projected surface cleaning positionwhen the supporting means are fixedly mounted on the nozzle body tothereby transmit the propelling forces to the brush and thus the surfacebeing cleaned. A further object is to adjust the brush in the cleaningtool to its projected position by displacement of the supporting meansfrom its movable to fixed positions relative to the nozzle body. Otherobjects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from thefollowing description and drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a side view partly in section of one embodiment of theinvention showing the supporting wheels loosely mounted with respect tothe nozzle body and the brush in unlocked position,

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1 and showing the supporting wheelsfixed with respect to the nozzle body and the brush locked in projectedposition,

Figure 3 is a view partly in section of another embodiment of theinvention showing the supporting wheels arranged to permit the nozzle tofloat with respect to the surface being cleaned and the brush inunlocked position, and

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 but showing the supporting wheelsfixed with respect to the nozzle body and the brush locked in projectedposition.

The embodiment of the invention disclosed in Figures 1 and 2 comprises abody 10 having an elongated nozzle 11 at its forward end and arearwardly extending bracket 12. The nozzle 11 is provided with a mouth13 defined by a perimeter lip 14 and communicates with an air passageway15 having an outlet 16. Rearwardly of the nozzle inlet 13 is a brushhousing 17 formed bythe nozzle wall 18 and the rear wall 19. Slidablydisposed in the brush housing 17 is a brush 20 having a brush back 21and bristles 22. A pair of springs 23, only one of which is shown, isseated between a land 24 on the nozzle body and the brush back 21 toresiliently urge the bristles 22 outwardly of the nozzle lip 14 intoengagement with the surface to be cleaned.

The body bracket 12 has a top wall 25, depending side walls 26, an endwall 27 and front wall 28, the latter being suitably secured to thebrush housing rear wall 19. Attached to the rear wall 27 is a wheelbracket 29 supporting a shaft 30 on which is rotatably mounted a roller31. The roller 31 engages the surface to be cleaned to form a rearsupport for the body 10 and the shaft 30 provides a pivotal axis for thebody. Formed in each side wall 26 of the body bracket 12 is an opening32 having a vertical portion 33 and a forwardly disposed offset portion34. Extending through the openings 32is a thrust receiving wheel shaft35 provided at its opposite ends with a thrust wheel 36 which engage thesupporting surface. The vertical portion 33 of the openings 32 providemounting means for the shaft 35 to permit vertical displacement of theshaft and wheels 36 relative to the nozzle 11 and such movement islimited by the shaft 35 engaging either the bottom 37 or top 38 of thewalls defining the vertical portions 33 of the openings. The offsetportion 34 of the openings 32 provide additional mounting means for theshaft 35 to maintain the latter fixed with respect to the body 10.

A locking device is provided to maintain the shaft 35 in the offsetportions 34 of the openings 32 as shown in Figure 2 and comprises a link39 having one end 40 rotatably secured to the shaft 35 by partlyencircling the latter, and the opposite end 41 is journaled on a pin 42rotatably mounted at one end 43 of a lever 44. The lever 44 is pivotallysupported on a pin 45 mounted in the opposed side walls 26 and has alever arm 46 projecting rearwardly of the body through an opening 47 andterminates in a pad 48 to receive the operators foot for manipulatingthe lever 44. A spring latch 49 is secured to the lever arm 46 andengages the rear wall 27 of the body 10 to maintain the lever 44 in itslocked position as shown in Figure 2.

The brush 2% is also locked in its projected position shown in Figure 2by a link 50 having one end 51 rotatably connected to the wheel shaft 35and the link extends forwardly through an opening 52 in the bracket wall28 of the body 10 into the brush housing 17 and terminates in an offsetend 53. The end 53 of the link 50 is adapted to engage a shoulder 54 onthe brush back 21 to lock the brush 20 in its projected positionrelative to the nozzle lip 14.

Rotatably mounted on the wheel shaft 35 are spaced arms 56 of a bail 57which projects through an opening 58 in the top wall 25 of the bodybracket 12. The bight 59 of the bail 57 is tubular and is connected atone end to a resilient conduit 60 which is secured to the outlet 16 ofthe nozzle 11 for communication with the nozzle mouth 13. A wand 61,which also acts as a propelling handle, is attached to the bail 57 andcommunicates with the resilient conduit 60. Attached to the opposite endof the wand 61 is an unshown hose which is connected to a suctioncleaner in a well known manner for conveying dirt laden air from thenozzle mouth 13 to the cleaner which removes the dirt from the airstream prior to discharging the latter to atmosphere. A pair of torsionsprings 62 are arranged about the wheel shaft 35 at its opposite endsand one end 63 of each spring is attached to a lug 64 on the side walls26 of the body bracket 12, and the opposite ends 65 are secured to eachleg 56 of the bail 57. The springs 62 are of such strength as to preventthe nozzle 11 from pivoting downwardly when the body 10 is lifted offthe supporting sur face but do not interfere with displacement of thewheel shaft 35 in the openings 32.

When the tool is employed to clean a soft surface as represented by therug 66 in Figure l the operator exerts a lifting force on the lever pad48 to rotate the lever 44 to its unlocked position shown in Figure 1.Movement of the lever to its unlocked position arranges the wheel shaft35 in the elongated vertical openings 33 and also shifts the brush link50 out of engagement with the shoulder 54 on the brush 20, whereby thewheel shaft 35 is free to move in the elongated openings 33 and thebrush 20 is unlocked for movement in the housing 17. The tool ispropelled over the surface 66 on the wheels 36 and the roller 31 byapplying forces to the wand 61, and such forces are transmitted throughthe bail arms 56 to the wheel shaft 35 and then to the wheels 36 ontothe surface 66. The elongated portions 33 of the openings 32 in the bodyframe 12 permit the wheel shaft 35 to be displacedwith respect to thenozzle 11 so that the vertical component of the forces applied to thehandle 61 are not transferred to the nozzle 11, with a result the nozzlelip 14 rests lightly on the surface. In addition the vertical elongatedopenings 33 allow the body to pivot about the roller axis 30 when thenozzle lip 14 engages different types of rugs to automatically adjustitself to the surface so that the nozzle 11 in effect floats withrespect to the surface 66. The opening 47 through which the lever arm 46projects is of sufficient area so as not to interfere with upwardmovement of the nozzle 11 relative to the wheel shaft 35. The brush 26is unlocked and thus is resiliently urged outwardly of the brush housing17 to an extent necessary to engage the surface 66 being cleaned.

If the tool is employed to clean a hard surface such as linoleum or abare fioor as indicated at 67 in Figure 2, it is desirable to lock thebrush 28 in projected posi tion and also lock the wheel shaft 35 withrespect to the body so that the propelling forces applied to the handle61 may be transmitted directly to the brush 20 to scrub and remove dirtfrom the floor. To adapt the tool for cleaning hard surfaces theoperator places his foot on the lever pad 48 to depress the lever arm 46causing the link 39 to move forwardly to displace the wheel shaft 35into the offset openings 34. The wheel shaft 35 is locked in the offsetopenings 34 by the spring latch 49 engaging the body rear wall 27 andthus the wheel shaft 35 is rigid with respect to the body 10. Depressingthe lever arm 46 also causes the end 53 of the brush link 50 to engagethe shoulder 54 on the brush'back 21 to lock the latter in its fullyprojected position relative to the nozzle lip 14. The bristles 22 areprojected to such an extent that the supporting wheels 36 are raisedfrom the surface 67, as shown in Figure 2, whereby the tool is supportedon the rear roller 31 and the bristles 22. Since the wheel shaft 35 islocked in the offset openings 34 which are adjacent the upper end of theelongated openings 33 the nozzle lip 14 is also maintained in its lowestnozzle position with respect to the surface 67.

When the wheel shaft 35 and brush 20 are locked with respect to the body10 the propelling forces applied to the handle 61 are transmitteddirectly to the body 10 and since the wheels are raised from the surface67 a positive pressure is applied to the bristles 22 for scrubbingaction on the surface 67.

The embodiment of the invention disclosed in Figures 3 and 4 includes abody 68 having the nozzle 11 provided with the inlet 13 communicatingwith the flexible conduit 60 connected to the wand 61 supported on thebail 57 as previously described. Slidably disposed in the brush housing17 is a brush 69 having a brush back 70 and bristles 71, and the springs23 resiliently urge the bristles 71 to project outwardly of the nozzlelip 14 into resilient engagement with the surface to be cleaned.Extending rearwardly of the nozzle 11 is a body bracket 72 having a topwall 73, side wall 74, end wall 75 and front wall 76, the latter beingattached to the rear wall 19 of the brush housing 17. Secured to therear wall 75 is the wheel bracket 29 on which is mounted the shaft 30provided with the roller 31.

Formed in each side wall 74 of the body bracket 72 is an opening 77having a vertical portion 78 and at the upper end thereof a rearwardlyextending offset portion 79. A thrust receiving wheel shaft 88 isarranged in the openings 77 and rotatably mounted on the opposite endsof the shaft is a thrust wheel 81. The vertical portions 78 of theopenings 77 provide mounting means for the shaft 80 to permit verticaldisplacement of the latter and the wheels 81 relative to the nozzle 11,and such movement is limited by the shaft 80 engaging either the hottom82 or the top 83 of the walls defining the vertical openings 78. Theoffset rear openings 79 provide additional mounting means for the shaftto maintain the latter fixed with respect to the nozzle 11. The arms 56of the bail 57 are rotatably mounted on the shaft 80 and projectupwardly therefrom through an opening 84 in the top wall 73 of the bodybracket 72.

The peripheral thread surface of the wheels 81 is of irregular contourand includes a recessed annular area 85 from which centrally projects anannular rib 86, whereby the tool is supported on the projecting ribs 86when pro pelled along hard surfaces, and when moved along soft surfacessuch as a rug 87 in Figure 3, the ribs 86 enter the pile so that therecessed tread areas 85 and the nozzle lip 14 rest upon the top surfaceof the rug 37. When the wheel ribs 86 penetrate the rug 87 the nozzle 11is pivoted upwardly about the roller shaft 30 to position a portion ofthe wheel shaft 80 slightly below the lower edge of the offset openings79 whereby the shaft 80 abuts the lower rear walls 88 of the verticalopenings to prevent movement of the shaft 60 into the offset openings79.

A locking device is provided to yieldably maintain the wheel shaft 80 inthe offset openings 79 and includes a pair of tension springs 90, onlyone of which is shown, and each spring 90 is arranged adjacent the bodybracket side walls 74 and has one end 91 secured to the shaft 80 and theopposite end 92 is attached to the body 68 as indicated at 93. Thepulling force exerted by the springs 90v on the wheel shaft 80 is suchthat when the tool is resting on a hard surface, as the floor 95 inFigure 4, the shaft 80 is moved by the springs 90 into the offsetopenings 79 to prevent relative movement between the nozzle 11 and theshaft 80.

The brush 69 is locked in its projected position as shown in Figure 4 bya link 96 extending through an opening 97 in bracket wall 76 of thenozzle body and the link has one end 98 attached to the wheel shaft 80and the opposite end is provided with a depending lug 99 which isengageable with a cam surface 100 on the brush back 70 to maintain thebristles 71 in fixed position with respect to the nozzle lip 14.

When the tool is employed to clean a soft surface as represented by themg 87 in Figure 3 the annular ribs 86 on the wheels 81 penetrate thesurface of the rug so that the recessed tread areas 85 support thewheels 81 on the rug. Since the wheel ribs 86 penetrate the surface ofthe rug 87 the nozzle lip 14 is raised with respect to the shaft 80 andelevates the openings 77 arranged in front of the rear walls 88 of thevertical openings 78 so that the force exerted by the springs 90.

do not displace the wheel shaft 80 into the offset openings 79. Thepropelling force applied to the wand 61 is transmitted through the bailarms 56 to the wheel shaft 80 and then to the wheels 81 onto the surface87. The lower portion of the vertical openings 78 permit the wheel shaft80 to be vertically displaced with respect to the nozzle lip 14 so thatthe vertical component of the forces applied to the handle 61 are nottransferred to the nozzle 11, with the result the nozzle lip 14 restslightly on the surface of the rug 87. The brush 69 is unlocked and isresiliently urged into engagement with the rug 87 by the springs 23.

If the'wheel shaft 80 is arranged in the offset openings 79 for cleaninga hard surface, as shown in Figure 4, and it is desired to clean the rug87, the tool is automatically converted for cleaning such soft surfacesby placing the tool on the mg 87 and upon the initial forward stroke ofthe tool over the rug 87 the rearward force exerted by the springs 90 isovercome due to the forward propelling force applied to the wand 61 plusthe surface resistance of the rug 87 to passage of the bristles 71thererelative to the shaft 80to arrange the latter in the vertical.openings 78, and thereafter the force applied to the wand 61 istransmitted directly to the wheels 81 so that they enter the rug 87 andthe shaft 80 is arranged in the lower portion of the vertical openings78.

If the tool is to be converted from the rug cleaning position shown inFigure 3 to bare floor cleaning position shown in Figure 4 the operatormerely moves thetool for rug 87 onto the floor '95. The ribs 86 on thewheels 81 then rest on the floor 95 allowing the nozzle lip 14 to dropto thereby arrange the offset openings 79 opposite the wheel shaft 80.The springs 90 then pull the shaft 80 rearwardly into the offsetopenings 79 as shown in Figure 4. Displacement of the shaft 80rearwardly from the vertical openings 78 into the offset openings 79moves the brush link 96 to the rear and causes the depending lug 99 toslide along the cam surface 100 to rigidly lock the brush 69 in itsprojected position relative to the nozzle lip 14. The bristles 71 areprojected to such an extent that the supporting wheels 81 are raisedfrom the floor 95 whereby the tool is supported on the rear roller 31and the brush 69, and since the shaft 80 is locked in the offsetopenings 79 the nozzle lip 14 is rigidly maintained in its lowestpossible position with respect to the surface. With the wheel shaft 80and brush 69 locked with respect to the body 68 the propelling forcesapplied to the handle 61 are transmitted directly to the body 68 andsince the wheels are elevated with respect to the surface 95 a positivepressure is applied to the bristles 71 for scrubbing the surface 95.

While I have shown and described several embodiments of my invention, itis to be understood that those embodiments are to be taken asillustrative only and not in a limiting sense. I do not wish to belimited to the particular structure shown and described but toincludeall equivalent variations except as limited by the scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. A cleaning tool comprising: a body having a surface cleaning nozzleat its forward end, means on said body for connecting said nozzle to asource of suction, .rear wheel means rotatively connected to said bodyrearwardly of its center of gravity whereby said nozzle tends to dropand rest upon the surface to be cleaned for vertical adjustment inaccordance with the type of surface being cleaned, thrust receivingshaft means having front wheel means, a handle attached to said shaftmeans for transferring a propelling force thereto, first mounting meansin said body for supporting said thrust receiving shaft means rigidlywith respect to said body in a high position relative to said nozzle andto transfer a propelling handle force to said body and thus said nozzle,second mounting means communicating with said first mounting means fordisplacement of said shaft means from said high position in said firstmounting means into said second mounting means, said second mountingmeans providing a loose connection between said body and shaft means forvertical adjustment of said shaft means relative to said bodyuponapplication of a propelling force to said handle when cleaning a surfacehaving a yieldable pile.

2. A cleaning tool as described in claim 1, and means connected to saidshaft means and body for latching said shaft means in said firstmounting means.

3. A cleaning tool as described in claim 1, and spring means connectedto said shaft means and body for retaining said shaft means in saidfirst mounting means.

4. A cleaning tool as described in claim 1, and said first mountingmeans arranged rearwardly of said second mounting means, and springmeans connected to said shaft means and body to latch said shaft meansin said first mounting means rearwardly of said second mounting means,the force exerted by said spring means being sufficient to maintain saidshaft means in said first mounting means against the propelling forceapplied to said handle when cleaning a relatively hard surface, and saidspring 6 means yielding whena greater propelling force is required tomove said nozzle against the resistance of a yieldable pile surface tothereby allow displacement of said shaft means into said second mountingmeans.

5". A cleaning tool as described in claim 1, and manually operated levermeans connected to said shaft means and body for latching said shaftmeans in said first mounting means.

6. A cleaning tool as described in claim 5, and said lever meansoperable to shift said shaft means into said second mounting meanswhereby said shaft means is movable with respect to said body uponapplication of propelling forces to said handle.

7. A cleaning tool as described in claim 1, and a surface cleaningbrush, means movably mounting said brush on said body, means resilientlyprojecting a portion of said brush exteriorly of said body intoengagement with the surface to be cleaned, and means for locking saidbrush in projected position relative to said body.

8. A cleaning tool comprising: a body having a surface cleaning nozzleat its forward end, means on said body for connecting said nozzle to asource of suction, rear wheel means rotatively connected to said bodyrearwardly of its center of gravity whereby said nozzle tends to dropand rest upon the surface to be cleaned for vertical adjustment inaccordance with the type of surface being cleaned, thrust receivingshaft means having front wheel means, a handle attached to said shaftmeans for transferring a propelling force thereto, first mounting meansin said body for supporting said thrust receiving shaft means rigidlywith respect to said body to transfer a propelling handle force to saidbody and thus said nozzle, second mounting means communicating with saidfirst mounting means for displacement of said shaft means from saidfirst into said second mounting means, said second mounting meansproviding a loose connection between said body and shaft means forvertical adjustment of said shaft means relative to said body uponapplication of a propelling force to said handle when cleaning a surfacehaving a yieldable pile, a surface cleaning brush, means movablymounting said brush on said body, means resiliently projecting a portionof said brush into engagement with the surface to be cleaned, and meansconnected with said shaft means and movable therewith to lock said brushin projected position relatively to said body upon displacement of saidshaft means into said first mounting means to thereby transfer thepropelling handle force to said brush.

9. A cleaning tool comprising: a body having a surface cleaning nozzleat its forward end, means on said body for connecting said nozzle to asource of suction, rear wheel means rotatively connected to said bodyrearwardly of its center of gravity whereby said nozzle tends to dropand rest upon the surface to be cleaned for vertical adjustment inaccordance with the type of surface being cleaned, thrust receivingshaft means having front wheel means, a handle attached to said shaftmeans for transferring a propelling force thereto, first mounting meansin said body for supporting said thrust receiving shaft means rigidlywith respect to said body to transfer a propelling handle force to saidbody and thus said nozzle, second mounting means communicating with saidfirst mounting means for displacement of said shaft means from saidfirst into said second mounting means, said second mounting meansproviding a loose connection between said body and shaft means forvertical adjustment of said shaft means relative to said body uponapplication of a propelling force to said handle when cleaning a surfacehaving a yieldable pile, spring means connected to said shaft means andbody for retaining said shaft means in said first mounting means, asurface cleaning brush, means movably mounting said brush on said body,means resiliently projecting said brush into engagement with the surfaceto be cleaned, and means connected to said spring means for locking saidbrush in projected position relatively to said body when said shaftmeans is latched in said first mount- 7 ing means to thereby transferthe propelling handle force to said brush. l r

10. A cleaning tool comprising: a body having a surface cleaning nozzleat its forward end, means on said body for connecting said nozzle to asource of suction, rear wheel means rotatively connected to said bodyrearwardly of its center of gravity whereby said nozzle tends to dropand rest upon the surface to be cleaned for vertical adjustment inaccordance with the type of surface being cleaned, thrust receivingshaft means having front wheel means, a handle attached to said shaftmeans for transferring a propelling force thereto, first mounting meansin said body for supporting said thrust receiving shaft means rigidlywith respect to said body to transfer a of a propelling force to'siaidhandle when cleaning a surprojected position relatively to said bodywhen said shaft propelling handle force to said body and thus saidnozzle, 15

second mounting means communicating with said first mounting means fordisplacement of said shaft means from said first into said secondmounting means, said second mounting. means providing a loose connectionbetween said body and shaft means for vertical adjustment of said shaftmeans relative to said body upon application means is latched in saidfirst mounting means to thereby transfer the propelling handle force tosaid brush.

References Cited in" the tile of this patent f UNITED STATES PATENTS2,034,196 Martinet Mar. 17, 193 2,807,824 Coons Oct. 1, 1957 2,850,757Duff Sept. 9, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 707,366. Great Britain Apr. 14, 1954

